This Nashville institution began serving steaks in 1974. But for culinary director Bob Tappan, it’s a passion for good ingredients and hospitality that has made the place special.

How did you get into this business?

I’ve always had a passion for food and cooking. It’s a blend of art, science and math, and essentially reflects the character of the people who prepare it. I think my passion stems from my mother. She has always been a great cook, and when I was 7 years old, I decided I wanted to be a great cook just like her. So for the next 10 years, I followed her around the kitchen and learned all of her techniques. Then, in high school and college, it became a job that I loved and actually made money doing.

What is your culinary philosophy at Sperry’s?

Managing ingredients from the source to the back door to the plate. Without that ingredient-driven focus, the rest of the process doesn’t matter. In addition, at Sperry’s, we all have a passion for food. Simply put, I can teach you the technique but I can’t teach you how to care about what you’re preparing.

What’s one of your favorite items on the menu that maybe tends to get overlooked?

Our most popular item on the menu is our filet mignon, a fine Creekstone beef that is grilled to perfection. One of my favorite items that gets overlooked is the smoked salmon. We smoke this salmon in house, which gives it our own signature flavor that is unlikely to be replicated. I would encourage customers to give it a try the next time they visit Sperry’s.

Please tell us your favorites at the moment in the following categories: ingredient, tool, book.

Ingredient: Heirloom tomatoes.

Tool: I have two favorites: basic chef knife and a braising pan.

Book: On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (by Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004)

Please tell us about one of your most memorable meals.

I can still taste the mouthwatering, sensational flavor and texture of the meat from my first Cuban “Pan con Lechon” sandwich from Calle Ocho on Miami’s Eighth Street. It was cooked to absolute perfection, and since then, I have never had another Cuban sandwich that topped that.

If you could cook for anyone, who would it be? What would you prepare?

I would cook for someone who respects and admires cooking and my culinary work. So, for me, I would cook sautéed baby yellow tail snapper with jumbo lump crab in a beurre blanc for my wife and mother … the most important critics in my life.